A Father's Strength
by liebedero
Summary: Set after the end of A Good Man Goes To War:Rory was going to be cool, and now, with his grown daughter in their family room, he has no idea what to do or to say, spoilers or no. All he knows is that he can't take his eyes off his little girl. Pseudo companion piece to 'Everyone Needs Someone' but you don't need to read it. WARNING: PURE FLUFF. Canon pairings. Written because RAWRY


Amy had decided that she needed some time alone. Rory knew this because she had excused herself to the bathroom two hours ago, and hadn't come back yet. River had brought them home not long before that. He sat across from her, still in his roman garb, watching her.

So far, she had avoided his gaze. He couldn't help but think of her as he'd seen her some hours ago, in her fancy 1800's dress, talking about Stevie Wonder and ice dancing with the Doctor.

"_Hello….Rory. It's my birthday,"_

Was there anything more telling than that? But at the time, he hadn't known the date of his own daughter's birth, much less who she would grow up to be.

And there she sat. All this time, she'd been with them, she was their daughter. His and Amy's. Melody. Just hours before, he'd held her in his arms, and cried, mourning his 'cool' nature as it easily slipped away with just one smile from his darling daughter.

And there she sat.

Abruptly, he stood, and walked over to the kitchen. In his peripherals he could see her bow her head, thinking that he had rejected her like her mother must have. At least that's how it seemed. He opened a cupboard and grabbed the desired items and then walked back into the sitting room, coming up from behind her, circled the couch, and sat himself down next to her.

"Happy Birthday, baby," He whispered, and held out a cupcake, a single lit candle stuck plumb in the center. River looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears, and a glorious smile blossoming on her face. She took the cupcake from his hand, closed her eyes and blew.

When she opened them, the smoke ringlets were rising to the ceiling, and Rory was watching her immovably. She set the cupcake down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Thank you, Daddy," She managed, voice broken with her emotion. "I love you,"

Rory pulled her into his arms. That brave, strong, impossible woman, River Song, Melody Pond, was his daughter. He caressed her hair as she cried into his shoulder, like all little girls should do with their dads when they are sad, and he held her tight.

They stayed like that for a long time, till she pulled back from him, and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, smiled. "I've waited so long to tell you that. To say just how much I love you, and call you Daddy. I…I hope you don't mind, I mean, I-"

"You, River Song, are my daughter. And if I don't run the Doctor through when he gets back here, I'm never going to stop thanking him for bringing you back to us, even if it's only like this. I mean, I hope we got…erm…get to raise you, but at least…it's a miracle we have you at all. And I'm not going to waste that. Just in case we don't ever see you as a baby again. But, well, you know, you'll always be my little girl and I want you to know that. Ever since….ever since…oh god, I was gonna be cool!" Rory rambled and soon he too had tears rolling of his cheeks. He took a deep breath, and took River's hands in his own.

"Ever since I held you as a baby, I have loved you more than life itself. Because you're my baby, a little piece of your mom and me, and some, erm, timey whimy stuff too, I suppose, but you're still my baby, and there is nothing I love more in the whole universe more than you and your mum, alright? I just…I want you to know that. And remember it for when…when we don't see you again and-"

"Hush, Daddy. Spoilers," She smiled at him through her renewed tears, and hugged him tightly. "Don't you ever worry. I always knew you loved me. Always. And mummy told me about you when I was so little. She told me about the Last Centurion, on his way to save me. He was always my hero, you were always, and still are my hero. And I've always known that you'd be coming for me,"

"What about the Doctor? Isn't he you're hero?" Rory teased her genially.

"Oh Daddy, he isn't nearly my hero, but he is so very important to me. And to you and Mummy, and All of us. Don't give up on him. Please. Always believe that he will do whatever he can, because even if the outcome isn't what you'd like it to be, you can't fault him for trying. He isn't perfect, and in that sense, he's as human as you or I. And he truly cares so much about you and Mum, and everyone else in the whole universe, in all of time and space. The simple truth is that you can't save everyone. Oh Daddy," She sighed. "He's so, so old now, so broken and sad. He can't be alone, because he fears his own judgment, but he can't bring anyone with him, because he fears that he'll result in their deaths somehow. When he forced you and mum off the TARDIS…he's only done that once before, and he probably should have more times than that, but he's only trying to protect you, and not only from the monsters out there, but from himself,"

Rory sat silently, contemplatively. "You're right about it being a rock and a hard place. But he gives us each a choice. And while I'm not going to lie – many, many times I have wished that we had never met him – my life would be incomplete, because well, I wouldn't be me, and I wouldn't have you the way that you are. We'd all be different people. And he needs us,"

He paused, looking out the window of their very blue home.

"I had him in my head once. Some things got left behind in the change back. Things that I know he'd rather not remember, but that he's got to or he'd be more dangerous than ever. So, despite my fatherly judgment, I hope you check in on him often. Because I care about him too," Rory clasped his hands, and hung his head down. "Maybe not like you or Amy do, but well, he and I, we've connected on some levels. And he got you to us. I owe him that much. He needs someone to look out for him. So don't you go leaving him behind ever, yeah? Oh! And, I'm guessing you'll have him wrapped around your little finger from this point forward…not that I'm really one to talk…but if I catch word that he's hurt you in some way, I'll wop him one, or run him through roman style. Yeah?"

"Yeah, I've got it Daddy. You and that magnificent right hook of yours! It'll be going to work soon but, well, spoilers!" She giggled at him, and Rory was certain he could see the child in her that was their baby. But she was a Timelord…lady? And with the thought he suddenly began to look at her in a new light.

She smiled at him bemusedly, and took one of his hands, and pressed it just above her heart. He looked up at her in wonder as she moved his hand to the mirrored position on her right side. His eyes widened as he felt the dual beats beneath his palms and he looked up at her in mild wonder, and equal amazement.

"Here's a hint for you – that's a spoiler too, but I don't think you understand why quite yet. Which is a good thing, yeah?"

"What about Amy?" he asked suddenly. River sighed.

"Not yet, Daddy, not yet. She'll be fine, I told you. Just fine. It will take time – these things always do, but I can't change that. And no time machine is going to make the hurt and the pain go away, but you have stay with her, and help her through the waiting and the pain. Because you'll always have me, but it just won't be how you want or expect it to be. Please, Daddy. Help her keep faith,"

He swallowed and pulled her back into his arms, pressing a kiss to the corner of her forehead. "I promise, Melody, I promise," If he'd had two hearts, they'd have both broken with her utterance. Despite everything, all the spoilers, she'd as good as told him that they'd never get her back, that their baby was gone for good. That they would never see her again.

He had to be strong. He had to be strong for Amy. His daughter had faith in him, and Rory knew that he needed to keep that faith alive just a little longer. No matter the cost. Because if he couldn't be strong, then no one would.

He had spent 2,000 years guarding his wife, protecting her and believing in the Doctor that everything was going to be alright.

He could do it a little longer.


End file.
